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60 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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desolate |
make desolate; forsake; abandon and desert
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desperado
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reckless, desperate outlaw
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desperate
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having lost all hope; despairing; reckless and violent because of loss of hope or despair; undertaken as a last resort
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despise
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look on with scorn; regard as worthless or distasteful; ADJ. despicable: contemptible
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despoil
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plunder; sack; Ex. despoil the village
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despondent
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without hope and courage; depressed; gloomy; N. despondency: loss of hope with gloom; dejection
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despot
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tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; CF. despotism
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destitute
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extremely poor; lacking means of subsistence; utterly lacking; devoid; Ex. destitute of any experience
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impoverish
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make poor; deprive of natural strength or something important; Ex. impoverished soil
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desultory
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aimless; haphazard; digressing at random
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detached
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emotionally removed; free from emotional involvement; calm and objective; physically separate; N. detachment; CF. attachment
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detain
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keep waiting; prevent from leaving or going; N. detention
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determinate
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having a fixed order of procedure; precisely defined; invariable; fixed; conclusive; final
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determination
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resolve; firmness of purpose; measurement or calculation; decision
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deterrent
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something that discourages or deters
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detonation
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explosion
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detraction
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slandering; aspersion; detracting; CF. detractor
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detrimental
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harmful; damaging; N. detriment
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deviate
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turn away from (a principle, norm); move away from an accepted standard; swerve; depart; diverge; N. deviation; Ex. deviation of the path of light by a prism
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devious
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roundabout; erratic; deviating from the straight course; not straightforward; not completely honest; Ex. devious route
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devise
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think up; invent; plan; bequeath; N: bequest
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devoid
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empty; lacking
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devolve
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deputize; pass or be passed to others (power, work, or property); Ex. devolve on/upon/to
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deputize
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work or appoint as a deputy; N. deputy: person who has the power to take charge when the leading person is away
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devotee
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enthusiastic follower; enthusiast; Ex. devotee of Bach
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devout
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pious; deeply religious; sincere; earnest; Ex. my devout hope
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dexterous
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skillful; skill in using hands or mind; N. dexterity
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diabolical
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diabolic; devilish; fiendish
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diadem
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crown
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dialectical
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relating to the art of debate; mutual or reciprocal; Ex. dialectical situation; N. dialectic: art of arriving at the truth by the exchange of logical arguments
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diaphanous
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sheer; transparent
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diatribe
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bitter scolding or denunciation; invective; abuse
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dichotomy
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division into two opposite parts; split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones)
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dictum
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authoritative and weighty statement (made by a judge in court); saying; maxim; CF. obiter dictum: incidental, nonbinding remark (something said in passing)
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didactic
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(of speech or writing) intended to teach a moral lesson; teaching; instructional; N. didacticism
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die
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metal block used for shaping metal or plastic; device for stamping or impressing; mold; CF. dice
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diffidence
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shyness; lack of self-confidence; timidity; ADJ. diffident
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diffuse
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wordy; verbose; rambling; spread out (like a gas); V: spread out in all directions; disperse; N. diffusion; CF. suffuse
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digression
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wandering away from the subject; V. digress
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dilapidated
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falling to pieces; in a bad condition; ruined because of neglect; Ex. dilapidated old car/castle; N. dilapidation
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dilate
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expand; dilate on/upon: speak or write at length on (a subject)
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dilatory
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delaying; tending to delay
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dilemma
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situation that requires a choice between equally unfavorable options; problem; choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives
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dilettante
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aimless follower of an art or a field of knowledge (not taking it seriously); amateur; dabbler; CF. delight
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diligence
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steadiness of effort; persistent hard work
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dilute
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make (a liquid) less concentrated; reduce in strength; Ex. dilute the influence of the president
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diminution
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lessening; reduction in size; V. diminish
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din
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continued loud noise; V: make a din; instill by wearying repetition
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weary
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tired after long work; V.
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dinghy
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small boat (often ship's boat)
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maroon
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leave helpless on a deserted island or coast; ADJ. red brown
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dingy
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(of things and place) dirty and dull; Ex. dingy street/curtain
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dull
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(of colors or surfaces) not bright; cloudy; overcast; boring; (of edge or sound) not sharp; not rapid; sluggish; slow in thinking and understanding; stupid; V.
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dint
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means; effort; Ex. by dint of hard work
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diorama
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life-size, three-dimensional scene from nature or history; three-dimensional scene with modeled figures against a painted background
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dire
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warning of disaster; disastrous; (of needs and dangers) very great; urgent; Ex. dire prediction/need of food
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dirge
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funeral song; slow mournful piece of music (sung over a dead person)
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disabuse
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correct a false impression; undeceive; free from a wrong belief
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disaffected
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disloyal; lacking loyality; V. disaffect: cause to lose affection or loyalty
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disapprobation
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disapproval; condemnation |
